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Jill Atwood reportingA Utah chemist is accused of mixing up a drug way more powerful than morphine.
42 year old Thomas Highsmith worked for Morton Thiokol, near Brigham City, but prosecutor's say on the side he manufactured a controlled substance.
He wasn't selling it, he was keeping it for himself. He'd convert it to a liquid form and then use it in a nasal spray bottle.
Thomas Highsmith is accused of producing a substance call ento-nightozene.
DEA agents say it's at least a thousand times more potent than morphine..1500 times more potent than heroine, and if it were to ever get out on the streets it could be deadly.
Highsmith worked as a chemist at Morton Thiokal, and it was actually employees there that realized Highsmith was up to something. Turns out he was, actually manufacturing the drug there on company time.
Kevin Taylor/D.E.A. Metro Narcotic Task Force:"ONE OF THE PROBLEMS IS AS CHEMISTRY GETS BETTER INVARIABLE PEOPLE DISCOVER NEW DRUGS I MEAN METH IS A GOOD EXAMPLE..THE OLD TIME PROCESS USED TO BE REALLY PROBABLY BETTER BECAUSE NOW IT'S A LOT EASIER TO MAKE IT'S A LOT MORE POWERFUL..IT'S A LOT PURER..AND SO IT'S KIND OF HARD TO WIN THE BATTLE WITH CHEMISTRY BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE COMING UP WITH ALL THESE
Agents say this is the first lab of its kind discovered in the U-S.
Highsmith will appear in Federal Court next month where he's facing drug charges and a weapons charge. If convicted he could get up to 30 years in prison.
